So far I have been given, by private email, two internet sites that
supposedly contain information on the energy production devices that
Arthur C. Clarke was alluding to: <biz.onramp.net/~ceti/> and
<www.blacklightpower.com>.
The first is the homepage of Clean Energy Technologies, Inc. Whatever the
merits of the processes they are pushing, they specifically state that
they are NOT cold fusion, and they specifically deny the validity of the
Pons-Fleischmann process. It was impossible to identify from the pages I
viewed any particular devices that they would actually sell yet, much less
any money back guarantees. Their main process seemed to be claiming that
it could hasten the cleanup of depleted uranium via previously unknown low
energy nuclear absorption of neutrons and maybe protons.
The second is the homepage pushing a book by Randell L. Mills, claiming to
be the unified field theory that Einstein was searching for, including a
"classical quantum theory." When you go further to probe the energy
producing processes he claims his theory leads to, he specifically states
that they are electrochemical in nature, and his description has no
nuclear component whatsoever.
Surely neither of these could be what Arthur C. Clarke was referring to,
at least I hope not. There was nothing like a "money back guarantee" for
anything on either site that I could find, and certainly no grounds for
any prizes for Pons and Fleishmann, Nobel or otherwise.
Finally, looking at the Scientific American discussion site
<www.sciam.com/askexpert/physics/physics6.html>, submitted to this list as
containing a defense of cold fusion research results, I could really find
no semblance of such. The one discussant who was somewhat neutral really
seemed only to conclude by leaving the door open to some vague future
possibilities, but certainly did not give any endorsement of cold fusion.
So I am still left wondering: does anyone have any idea what Arthur C.
Clarke was referring to and where are any "money back guarantees" to be
found? And what could possible be grounds for predicting any possibility
for a Nobel prize for Pons or Fleischmann. Was A.C.C. putting us on
totally, or has he really completely lost touch with reality?
A. R. Marlow E-MAIL: marlow@loyno.edu
Department of Physics, Box 124 PHONE: (504) 865 3647 (Office)
Loyola University 865 2245 (Home)
New Orleans, LA 70118 FAX: (504) 865 2453